Ship-bow shield and shock-absorber.



O. GERBER. SHIP BOW SHIELD AND SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1914.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

L'M w-m. IIVVE/VTOR WITNESSES:

THE NORRIS PETERS C0 PHOTO LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

ATEN' FFIC GHR IS TIAN GERBER,

or MORGAN, UTAH.

To all whom it may] concern:

Be it known that I, CHRIsTInn GERBER, a citizen of the United States,residlngat Morgan, in, the county of Morgan and State of My inventionrelates to ship-bow shields.

and shock absorbers and has for its object to provide a shield for thebow of a ship which will act as a shock absorber and deaden the force ofthe contact when the ship on which it'is placed strikes another vesselor some-other obstacle. Tl16S6'Ob38CDS I accomplish with the deviceillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar letters andnumerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalfigures, and as described in the specification forming a part of thisapplication and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown a substantial embodiment of myinvention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the front portion of a shipequipped with one of my shields. Fig. 2' is a vertical longitudinalsection through the same. Fig.3isa plan view of the same portion of theship with the deck removed showing the device in place thereon. Fig. 4is a horizontal section on line 00 :0 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection on line a z of Fig. 2.

When a ship strikes a vessel, iceberg or other obstacle with its prow orhow end, damages are frequently the result even when the ship is notmoving with any great speed; and when the speed is great serious lossmay occur.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a shield which is securedto and covers a portion of the bow end of a ship that will deaden theimpact and protect that portion of the vessel.

In the drawingsfiled herewith the bow of the vessel is shown at A andthe shield complete as B. Said shield is constructed with an outercovering 1 shaped to conform to the bow of the vessel and normallyspaced therefrom. A vertical beam 2 is secured within the apex of saidshield or covering made of strong material and provided with recesses 3which are cut or mortised in the open edge thereof. Horizontally placedbuffer bars are carried in the front portion of the vessel extendingforwardly therefrom Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Application filedOctober 19, 1914. Serial No. 867,552.

and each having a pivot ring or plate 4: thereon. Said shield B isfastened in place on the vessel by said rings or plates t being insertedwithin said recesses 3 and pivot bolts 5 secured transversely throughthe sides 1 of said shield and passed through holes in said pivot plates4. Said bufier bars are slidably carried in pipes 6 which are secured inplace in the frame work of the vessel. Secured within the hold of thevessel and to the heavy frame work thereof are'cr'oss braces 7, 8, and9. On the upper of said buffer bars, shown at 12, is carried a spiralspring 13, one end of which bears against a collar 1 1 that is rigidlysecured on said buffer bar 12, and the other end bears againstthecross'brace 8. This construction and arrangement allows said bufi'er bar12 to be moved longitudinally inward against the compression of saidspring 13 which spring normally holds said collar 14: against the innerside of the bow of the vessel. The next lower of said buffer bars 15 isyieldingly held extended and allowed limited'longitudinal movementwithin its pipe'6 by a similar spring 16. The next lower of said buflerbars 17 has a cross-head 18 firmly secured on the free end thereof, anda spring 10 is carried on said bar that tendsto hold it extended. On theend pore tions of said cross-head 18 are secured two parallelhorizontally disposed bars 19, with their free ends slidable throughopenings in the cross brace 9. On each of said bars 19 is carried aspiral spring 20 which is compressed when said buifer bar 17 andcrosshead 18 are moved horizontally inward. On the next lower of saidbufier bars 21 I preferably carry two spiral springs 22 and 23 each heldbetween a collar 24 and 25 respectively and the cross braces 8 and 9adjacent.

In the lower hold of the vessel I provide two parallel buffer bars 26with pivot plates 3 similar to those on the front end of the otherbufier bars. On each of said bars 26 is carried a spiral spring 27 whichnormally holds said buffer bars in their extended position but willallow them to be forced horizontally inward to a limited extent.

Should a vessel upon which my device is fitted strike an object on theupper portion of the shield, the upper buffer bar would be movedlongitudinally inward, and the spring 13 would be compressed. The otherbuffer bars would be in their order downward each moved lessthan the oneabove while the springs thereon would "becompressed correspondingly.Should the contactbe lower and more vertically centralon the shield allof said springs would be compressed in proportion to the movement oftheshield toward the prow, the strength of I the springs determiningtherelative amount the impact was deadened; the momentum lessened and thefinal blow lightened.

Having thus-described my invention I desire to secure by LettersPatent-{and claim l. In a shieldandshock absorber for ship collisions, aV-shaped shield spaced from the bow ofthe ship: buffer'bars'slidablycarried in the bow of the ship andto which said shield ispivoted; and spiral springs carried on said biifler bars to'no-rmallymaintain the space between said shield and the bowof the ship.

"2. In a ship-bow shield and shock absorber the. combination ofhorizontally disposed buffer bars slidably carried in the prow of theship and extended in front thereof; a V-shaped shield'pivoted on saidbuffer bars and spaced fromanda-round the prow of the ship; andspiralsprings carried on said bnfie'rbarsandwithin the prow'to normallyhold said bars extended beyond the prow.

an a shock absorber for ships, sliip' having a narrowed'pro-w; bufferbars horizontally disposed 1n said prow;p1pes within which said bufferbars are slidab-lycar-V ried; spiral springs carried on said bars tohold them yieldingly extended beyond; said prow; and aV-shapedshieldpivoted'on said buffer bars and normally spaced from saidprow. .J =1

4. In a shock absorber for shipsthe combinationofa ship having a-fp rownarrowed as'abiitj-water; a bnfif'er bar horizontally disposedandslidablycarried in said prow with a portion extended; a spiral springcarried on said bufi'er' bar to hold it yieldingly extended; otherbuffer bars vertically below ingly hold "it? extended another bar"vertically below the'first mentioned bar; springs carried thereon tohold it normally extended another bufifer'bar vertically; below the lastmentioned bar ;a 5 cross-head 'onthe' rear end thereof; parallelc barshorizontally extended from: the rear,- side "of said "cross-head;springs carried on said bars to normally hold= said=buifer bar extended;two parallel spaced-apart buffer bars below said last mentioned bar"with portions of each for-*' wardlyexten'oled'; pi'v'ot plates on each;and a V-shaped shieldpivoted on the extended ends of said barsspacedfrom said prow,

In testimony whereofI' 'have aflixed my signature in presence: of twowitnesses.

G BISTHAN GE BE Wit ss S-= SAM'RANE WILL AMS- Ooples of this 'patent maybe obtained. for five cents eachfby addressing the fl;omm i ssion e orEaten?

